Why the Mark Stephen Experiential Agency Tapped PureWeb to Run Its Virtual Marketplace
Providing a virtual component to Essence Communications’s dynamic New Orleans street festival required the help of the leading 3D streaming experience provider.
Launches of the experience
Minutes streamed by virtual attendees
Average minutes of user retention
Different iterations of layouts were used before landing on the ideal user experience. The priorities were to simplify navigation to maximize accessibility to the event and ensure that brands had exposure from every angle. Ironically, what they found best allowed for an authentic recreation of a city square was a circular shape. “(Using the circle) meant that no matter the age of the user, they were able to easily navigate the world and enjoy the experience, “ said Butters.
By employing a combination of Unreal Engine, Cinema 4D, Blender, and PureWeb, Mark Stephen was able to quickly provide Essence with a prototype of the experience. Given the demand for attention to detail, some technological hiccups were inevitable during the construction phase. Being able to jump on call, discuss the issue, and efficiently ideate and implement solutions were integral contributions by PureWeb that allowed the Mark Stephen Experiential Agency to provide a true ROI for Essence.
For one month, visitors around the world could access a full festival experience virtually, featuring shopping, a photobooth, digital programming — and could even enjoy a parade of Mississippi river boats while listening to a Coca Cola-curated playlist. The experience was launched 6,051 times and 25,939 minutes were streamed, with PureWeb on standby to resolve any disruptions.
“We were looking to push the boundaries wherever we could to break a deeper immersive audience experience — from accessibility, realism, shopping, and entertainment within the experience,” said Butters, reflecting on the event. “PureWeb allowed us to facilitate our vision through scalability and deployment quality across the world, and have been good team players.”
The success of the experience convinced Essence to make the virtual festival an annual event. It also birthed an e-commerce system they could use beyond the virtual marketplace. And PureWeb’s expert deployment made sure the Mark Stephen Experiential Agency and Essence had minimal difficulty in virtually complementing a rowdy event in the Big Easy.
